Sofia
I opened my eyes to see i was hanging upside on daddy's bed. papa had awaken up too, he was in his morning sleepy voice, "baby don't move" he with raspiness to his voice, "huh? why not?" i ask but daddy had lifted my legs and moved them aside, "okay now you can move." he says as sits up on his bed, "what was that for papa?"
"you were going to hurt daddy if you moved your legs." he says giving me my morning kiss on the forehead, "im hungry" i say, changing the subject now. "let's grab breakfast"
with that, we go to breakfast. my birthday now is in 4 days which i was excited for! i get to be 9 and papa says when i am 9 i can go to bed later.
i was really excited for my birthday, that the 4 days came by really slowly but eventually my birthday came!
just a day before, my friends, claudette, and lily did a surprise party for me, we had tons of cakes and food, then toys! papa had bought lots of cool stuff, then on my official day of my birth. papa really has gone insane.
when I woke up, the first thing I see is a table, and on that table was a glass case of a crystallised winter tree, the winter tree that i always wanted. but papa says it's one of a kind and is very rare.
beside the glass case had a note, 'happy birthday princess, get ready, we'll be going somewhere.' i quickly gotten ready, and brushed my teeth and met papa in the foyer.
"good morning baby." he says welcoming me in his warm embrace, "thank you papa!" i say, i never noticed how tall papa really is, i barely even reach his chest.
i hug his torso more than himself, "what are you thinking so deeply about?" papa asks me as he boops me on my nose, "that papa is handsome" i say looking up at him, "i feel touched." he says, giving me a pat on the shoulder, it was true.
papa is handsome, but I wasn't thinking about that, "papa where is this place?" I ask as papa helps me into the car, "papa! i can do it myself" i continue as i start to buckle myself, "it's a surprise, and are you sure about that? you still sleep with me." he says as he slides into the seat next to me.
"that's because i hate storms!" i say defending myself, "my scaredy cat." he says putting his arms around me, "papa!"
"im joking love."
"good" i look out the window and try to figure out where we are going, "papa where is this?" i ask.
"patience, love"
"that doesn't help me!"
"we're here." he says as the car stops, i look out and see a building, "what is this?"
"i want you to meet my, mother. your grandmother." he says, i looked at him confused.
"my grandmother?" I repeat, "yes. you'll be on your best behaviour right?" he asks a bit short, suddenly the warm air around him vanished, he was cold again.
"yes daddy" i say in a quiet voice, when arriving to the building, the atmosphere changed, it became more icy, more still. the door was like looming over me, daddy had been in front of me as he opens the door for me, "father." daddy says in a cold, and very expressionless way, the man before us is my grandfather? "diego. is this the daughter you speak of" the man says matching daddy's cold demeanour.
"yes, she's the daughter I conceived while away from home." daddy says bringing me closer to his side, conceived? that's a word I've never heard before, daddy's father wasn't old, but he wasn't young. he truly is my grandfather? "i see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." my grandfather tells daddy, as we make it to the dining room, and i saw a woman with blonde hair sitting in a chair, 'is that my grandmother?' i wondered, "Mom, meet Sofia." father introduces me, i suddenly became timid, but I didn't want them to think of me as a shy girl, "hello!" i say full of energy as i give them my cutest smile.
"my, my. you are so adorable! makes me want to pinch your cheeks." the blonde lady says, she sounds really nice. "so this is what you've been doing while away from home." she continues to say, as she directs her attention back to daddy.
".." papa didn't say anything, and i never seen daddy look so nervous, "ah well at least you made a cute kid." grandma says, and the mood changed immediately in the room.
I I I I
meeting papa's family really explains a lot about daddy, explains why he doesn't show much emotions, grandfather always treated him as such, and but grandfather doesn't seem like that when he's talking to me, he's really kind. but I can always see daddy on edge whenever grandpa puts his hand on my shoulders or giving me a gentle pat, "You are now 9." Papa says, "yeah! papa I am" i say.
"you've become pretty" papa says, which makes me blush, "thank you papa!" I say beaming, "of course you still don't match up with me" papa says boastfully, which makes me clench my fist, "hey! that's mean" i say pouting, "come here" papa says using his gentle voice, i go into his embrace, "i'll have to chase all the boys away" he says sighing, "papa I'm only 9" i say, "i know." he says which he changes the topic.
Diego
it's become such a detestable day, my daughter has turned nine, which makes me upset. sooner or later she was going to meet with my parents, i just didn't think it'd fall on her birthday.
when i observed the interaction between my father and her, it's made me question my own self worth. 'he treats her with grace while he treated me like some trash' i thought as i had been watching them intently, often times i would get uneasy whenever he lays a hand on her or even hugs her.
perhaps im just really overprotective, however as long as she's little i'll keep her by my side. later into the evening, sofia went off to the kitchen to help my mom with the cooking. so it was just me and my dad at the dining table, the mood that had been present in the room before changed. Drastically to a more stiff, and cold atmosphere. my father and i just stared into each other's soul, before he broke the silence, "i am sorry" he starts off by muttering the words incoherently.
"pardon?" i expressed waiting for him to say it more clearer, "i am sorry for the way i've raised you. i could've done a better job, but i failed. i always used the excuse of being a teen parent that.." he pauses as he tries to recollect his thoughts, "i had thought, it was the reason why i was such a lousy parent.. but when i saw your daughter, i realised i just wasn't trying hard enough." he concludes as he leans back in his chair.
i was stunned, i didn't really know what to say, it wasn't like my father to apologise for such 'trivial' matters, before i had the chance to say anything my father started to speak; "i always knew you'd make an excellent father one day, and my premonition had been true."
all of the emotions that i begrudged against him somehow vanished, all i wanted was validation from him, but i was taking in a lot of new stuff.
suddenly it started to dawn on me, "are you dying?" i abruptly say, which he gives me a funny facial expression, "no, im not dying. hey. just because you gave me a grandchild doesn't make me a old man" father says defending himself, which earns a respectable smile from me.
"you truly amaze me." he begins,
it seems i haven't even been able to say my point of view, before he moves on to another topic. "you definitely best my record in having a child" he utters, "i don't know what happened. i regret losing it so soon." i say, but something inside me made me quickly regret those words.
"papa!" i start to hear my daughter call for me, which brought our heart-to-heart conversation to a brief ending, "yes sofia" i respond turning my attention to her. "grandma says dinner is ready" so with that she disappears back into the kitchen.
"you've given me such an adorable granddaughter" my father begins to dote, "thanks to this buddy." i say giving myself a pat to the shoulder. which earns a laugh from my father, "touché" he says gradually bringing his laugh to a halt.
dinner came, and went. we said our goodbyes, and we were set to go home, then my daughter had already fallen asleep in the backseat.
half an hour later and we finally arrive home, i was about to carry sofia into the house but she begins to wake up, "papa" she says as she rubs the sleep away. "we're home" i give a gentle smile as i place a kiss to her temple, "i am tired" she says, which she grabs her blanket.
"don't forget to shower tonight" i say, which earns a groan from her, "i wish papa gives me a bath" she says complaining as she walks up the steps, "you're too old for that" i say, "i know papa" she said before going up to her bedroom.
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published: 10.20.21